Change of Heart
by N.T Rayne
Summary: When Scorpius Malfoy first goes to Hogwarts, he expected to make friends and be a normal kid. But being the son of Draco Malfoy makes life anything but normal. What starts off as innoncence turns to hate in face of predjudice at Hogwarts. Rose/Scorpius
1. Year 1 : First Year Fears

**Change of Heart**

**By: xLucky-Sparks**

**Chapter One: **First Year Fears

**Disclaimer: **Whatever belongs to JK Rowling belongs to JK Rowling. Whatever belongs to me belongs to me.

**Pairings:** Scorpius/Rose

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**Year One**

**Platform Nine and Three Quarters**

**xxx**

He didn't want to go to Hogwarts.

He really, really, really didn't want to go to Hogwarts.

Not when. Not how. Not ever.

And yet still, there he stood. His father's hand was clasped firmly on his shoulder while his mother stood with her arm linked through his father's arm at his side. Even though Scorpius Malfoy knew that the jittery nerves he was feeling at the pit of his stomach were nothing more than first day of school butterflies, it didn't ease the feeling of dread as he stared at the crimson train in front of him.

He didn't like Platform Nine and Three Quarters either. There were students everywhere. It was much too crowded. People were shouting. Owls were hooting. Cats hissing. A mumble jumble of noise surrounding him and his family, threatening to consume them in their chaos.

Oh no. Scorpius did not like it one bit.

Unfortunately, he couldn't show his discomfort. Because showing any sign of weakness was considered downright embarrassing for a Malfoy. The last thing Scorpius wanted was to embarrass his father and mother.

"So, this is it," said Draco Malfoy. He didn't look down at his son. Instead, he glanced around at the rest of the crowd. "Your first day of school. Are you excited?"

"Of course he is," said Astoria as she slipped her arm from her husband's. She walked round to her son and smiled before she brushed a lock of his blonde hair from his silver-blue eyes. "Scorpius didn't sleep a wink last night did he? Don't lie, it's a mother's intuition."

Pulling away from his mother's touch, Scorpius wrinkled his nose lightly. "Mum, I'm eleven now. I don't want everyone here to think that I'm a baby or something."

Astoria only laughed before she looked up at her husband. A slight frown creased her lipstick red lips. "Draco, dear, what are you looking at?"

Immediately Scorpius turned to his father then in the direction he was looking in. His father's gaze was on a family – a rather large family it seems. Four adults. Two with bright red hair. One with brown, the other black. And loads of children. They were all chattering excitedly amongst each other and Scorpius could hear snippets of their conversation. Something about a Teddy snogging someone named Victorie.

Before Scorpius could ask who the family was, his mother walked over his father and pulled on his arm lightly. "Come now, dear. Let it go. It's all in the past."

"I know," said Draco as he turned back to his wife and son. Scorpius saw that his father looked bitter and angry. The look only lasted for a second though before he turned to Astoria. "I'm on decent terms with Potter. Well, decent enough that we don't even talk to each other. It's Weasley. I don't care what they do or say about me it's-" Stopping mid-sentence, Draco shook his head. "We'll talk about it when we're back at the manor, Astoria. Right now, it's Scorpius's day. Isn't it?"

Scorpius was still looking at the family when his dad spoke to him. Jolted out of his thoughts, Scorpius turned to look at his father then back at the family and then back at his dad. Did his father say "Potter" as in the Harry Potter? The great wizard who defeated Lord Voldemort and brought peace to the wizarding world? Scorpius's eyes grew wider. Aside from his dad, Harry Potter was Scorpius's hero. He had always knew that his father went to school with Harry Potter. And sometimes in passing his dad would mention Harry's name. But to actually-

"Scorpius dear, you father asked you a question."

Blinking once, Scorpius shook his head before nodding.

"Yes, yes it is," he said. The thrill of actually seeing Harry Potter in person and the possibility of going to school with his children was astronomical. He couldn't believe it. But when Scorpius turned back to the glinting red monster in front of him, he froze. All of a sudden the idea of going to Hogwarts with the children of Harry Potter didn't seem quite as exciting anymore.

That niggling fear returned.

Most of his life, Scorpius had spent in a sort of self-isolation. He preferred the comforts of his imagination and of books and reading rather than spending time with children his age. Then again, there weren't many children his age to begin with. Bertha Goyle was the only playmate Scorpius ever really had who he bonded with. Bertha didn't count though since she was a year younger than him and wasn't due to start Hogwarts yet. The idea of leaving the comfort of his manor and his parents was utterly horrifying.

"Dad?" asked Scorpius as he turned to look at his father. A hint of fear in his voice betrayed his mask of cool confidence.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "Yes, Scorpius?"

He wanted to ask his father the question. He really did. But right as the first words reached the tip of his tongue, Scorpius clenched his teeth together. The question he wanted to ask was forever trapped behind his teeth before he shook his head. "Never mind. I just, wanted to tell you..."

"Don't you worry, Scorpius. I'll make sure that you dad writes to you every week. If he doesn't, you can send him a Howler and you have my permission to send him a curse also." Astoria smiled broadly while Draco gave his wife a steely glance. That only made Astoria laugh before she slid her arm through Draco's and leaned against him.

A moment of silence passed between the three of them before the whistle signaling the departure of the Hogwarts Express in ten minutes sang out into the crowd. Scorpius's grip on his wand tightened as he bit his bottom lip. It was almost time to go.

He really didn't want to go.

Then in a most un-Malfoy-ish fashion, Scorpius ran forward and hugged his parents tightly. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He could smell his mother's perfume and a slight whiff of mothballs from his father's robes. For some reason, Scorpius felt that if he couldn't remember everything about his parents, they would disappear.

When he pulled away, his mother smiled before she stopped him and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. His father straightened out his robes. It looked as if he was going to tell Scorpius to behave and not be so wild but instead, Draco smiled.

The train whistle blew again.

Five minutes.

Scorpius took a step back.

"Go on, dear," said his mother, shooing him forward.

Another step.

Before he could take another, Draco reached out and pulled his son back by the arm. In one sweep of arm, Draco pulled his son into a hug and held him tightly. The hug was unexpected. In all his eleven years, Scorpius couldn't recall a time when his father had ever hugged him like this. The hug was brief but intense and when Draco pulled away, he still held his son by the shoulders and looked at his son in the eyes.

"If anything happens. If you have any trouble with the other students, you owl me immediately," said Draco before he stood up. "Remember that, Scorpius. If there's any trouble, owl me." He then patted his son on the shoulder and took a step back. "Now go. Before you get left behind. If you do, you're going to be grounded for the rest of your life."

Still stunned by his father's sudden display of affection Scorpius nodded before he turned and ran towards the Hogwarts Express. The train was already beginning to move when he jumped and grabbed on just in the nick of time. Looking back, Scorpius grinned as he waved to his parents and watched as his mother waved back. His father only looked at him with a smile and a nod. He then turned and when Scorpius followed his gaze, he saw that his father was looking at Harry Potter and his family.

Scorpius was about to turn and look also when the train began to pick up speed. In order to avoid being thrown off the train, Scorpius took a step back and walked into train carriage. Once inside he looked around at the compartments. Every compartment was filled with chattering students. Most of them were older than him. Those who were his age, well, Scorpius could hardly see them anywhere.

He was about to turn around and try to find a different compartment with a scream ripped through the train carriage.

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**Author's Note:** So I have came to the realization that I really don't like writing stories that involve Harry and Company and that I prefer writing Next Gen. fanfics along with Marauder era fics. Anyways, this is my story and depiction of Scorpius Malfoy's years at Hogwarts. There is no future Dark Lord. No evil subplot. I'm sorry. Instead the main conflict of the story is going to stem from house prejudices and discriminatory.

If you do want to read a story that is more adventurous, then please read my other story **Witch Hunt**. Where the main conflict lies in the fact that magic is evil and two transfer students from America are sent to Hogwarts to destroy the British Wizarding World forever. This too is a next generation fic.

For those who have read **Witch Hunt** already, you will realize that there are characters from **Witch Hunt** present in **Change of Heart**. Why? Because I'm a lazy bum to create a whole new cast list. 8D

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of **Change of Heart**. Please, review. Critiques are loved and even a simple compliment is welcomed.


	2. Year 1 : You're A Malfoy

**Change of Heart**

**By: xLucky-Sparks**

**Chapter Two: **You're a Malfoy

**Disclaimer: **Whatever belongs to JK Rowling belongs to JK Rowling. Whatever belongs to me belongs to me.

**Pairings:** Scorpius/Rose

**Special Thanks To: Vil89SIx & GardenRiver** reviewing my story. ^o^ **CocoaTea** for favoriting, reviewing and putting **Change of Heart** on your Alerts. And **FairytaleBeliever123** for putting my story on your alerts. All these little things really added up and encouraged me to continue with this story. XD So thank you, thank you, thank you.

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Year One

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Scorpius cringed at the scream. What in the world was going on? His mind flashed with various possibilities. Could the train have swerved and is now careening towards to an imminent death? Did someone let loose a bunch of spiders in the train? Scorpius hated spiders. Oh Merlin, Circe, anybody. Scorpius hated spiders.

Everyone in the train carriage had turned to see where the scream had come from also. Heads were poking out of the compartment while whispers followed. A couple of first years looked worried while the older students looked either curious or annoyed. They were all looking at the only compartment that still had its door closed.

"W-what's going on?" asked Scorpius, looking at a nearby third year boy, a Hufflepuff from the looks of his robes.

The boy shrugged. "Could be anything, considering that the compartment the scream came from is James Potter's compartment. You should just ignore it. More like than not it's another prank on one of his cousins."

At the mention of James Potter, Scorpius felt his heart jump to his throat. He immediately turned back to the closed compartment, his gray-blue eyes widening ever so slightly. In that compartment was the son of his long time hero. He was just three compartments away from the eldest son of Harry Potter.

This just had to be a dream.

The Hufflepuff boy must have seen the fan-shock in Scorpius's eyes because he frowned before reaching out lightly hitting Scorpius on the arm. "Don't even think about making friends with James. Unless you get sorted into Gryffindor, he and his friends aren't going to look twice in your direction. And if you get sorted into Slytherin? Well... Good luck."

"Gryffindor?"

Immediately Scorpius felt his heart drop from his throat to the pit of his stomach. If what the other boy said was true, then there was no way he could be friends with James Potter. Shuffling his feet slightly, Scorpius gaze went from the compartment to the green carpet of the carriage floor. He was certain that he would be sorted into Slytherin. His father was a Slytherin. His mother was a Slytherin. His grandfather and grandmother were in Slytherin. Even his aunt was in Slytherin.

The chances of him being in Slytherin? Pretty much, one hundred percent.

"Hey."

Scorpius turned and looked back at the boy. The boy was sitting in the carriage with three other students. A girl who was in Ravenclaw who had pretty auburn hair and brown eyes. A girl who was in Hufflepuff with blonde hair and green eyes. A boy who was in Ravenclaw with dark hair and dark eyes. The three other students in the compartment were in conversation and while the boy had completely turned so that he was looking at Scorpius. The boy was a bit tall for his age with a stocky build, brown hair that curled and light brown eyes.

"The name's Nathan Wood, if you want, you can sit with me and mates. Unless you have friends you'd rather sit with."

"Nathan... Wood? As in, the Nathan Wood?" Even though Scorpius would have rather make friends with James and his friends, he was in a bit of an awe at meeting the son of Oliver Wood, chaser for Puddlemere United. It made him feel just a bit inferior because how many other students at Hogwarts were from famous people?

Nathan smiled and nodded before he placed a hand out for Scorpius to take. "No. I'm not the Nathan Wood. Just Nathan Wood. My dad might be famous, but that doesn't make me special or anything. So what's your name?"

"Scor-"

Before Scorpius could even finish his introduction, the door to James's compartment opened again. A first year girl was stumbling out of it, screaming while a what looked like a giant spider clung for its life to the top of her head. "James you prat! Get it off of me! GET IT OFF OF ME! AAAAAAH!"

Once again heads were popping out of the compartments as curious students stared at the girl. Scorpius froze at the sight of the spider while Nathan just sat in his compartment, tsking as he shook his head.

Out of James's compartment came a rouse of laughter before a boy stepped out of it. Messy black hair, dark hazel eyes and a goofy grin. The boy was trying to stifle a laugh as he pointed his wand at the girl. "Sorry, Rosie. I was trying to get rid of the spider in your hair, not enlarge it."

The girl, Rosie, turned and saw the boy pointing his wand at her. That only made her panic even more. "NO! Put your wand down this instant James Sirius Potter! I don't want you using magic to get rid of the spider this time, I want you to just GET IF OFF ME!"

"James," said a boy standing behind James. The other boy was a first also from the looks of it. His hair was dark like James's but it wasn't messy and untamed. The other boy had a softer look to him and was looking at Rosie with uncertainty. "James, I think that you really should just-"

"Oh come on, Al," said James, his wand still pointed at Rosie as he tried to aim his shot at the spider and not the girl, "Don't you trust your older brother?"

The look on Al's face said more than words could. The answer was no, but it didn't look like he was going to argue with his older brother.

"James! You get this spider off of me right now!"

"Just. Hold. Still. Rose. And put your hands down and stop trying to pry that thing off. Obviously it's not going to come off."

Rose looked completely shocked now as she backed away from James. Her hands were still up, but it wasn't touching the spider. "James..." said Rose, "Please put the wand- AAAH!"

The spider took Rose's calmness as its cue to try and escape. Wiggling all eight of its spiny legs it began to crawl down Rose's head. When Rose felt it creeping down her neck and back she started screaming again. "GET THIS THING OFF!"

It was as if he was moving on autopilot.

Scorpius didn't know what possessed him to help the girl get rid of the spider. All he knew was that one instant he was staring at the spider, frozen on the spot while fear clawed at his heart, the next instant Rose was screaming and he was walking over to her and the spider as it crawled down her back.

Reaching out, he plunged his hands towards the spider and pulled it off of Rose. His fingers squished into the spider's body when he grabbed it. Scorpius wanted to vomit but he held the bile down his throat. The spider flailed, its legs wiggling in a bid for freedom while its beady eyes looked every which way for escape.

Without thinking, Scorpius turned to the compartment Nathan was sitting in.

"Open the window! Open the window!"

The Ravenclaw girl froze at the sight of the spider but after Nathan nudged her, she and the Ravenclaw boy opened the window to their compartment. Once the window was thrown open, Scorpius wasted no time running to it and throwing the spider out. He immediately slammed the window shut.

"Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin. Oh Merlin." Once he realized what he just did, Scorpius started to wipe his hands on his robes. He could feel the squishy, gross feel of the spider in his hands. If he had washed his hands a thousand times, he wouldn't be able to wash away the feeling of that spider in his hands.

It took Nathan's chuckle to make Scorpius realize that he was still standing in his compartment.

A faint blush of embarrassment crossed his cheeks as Scorpius laughed nervously. This wasn't how he wanted to start off his first day at Hogwarts. Slowly Scorpius walked towards the compartment's door to see how the girl, Rose, was doing. As he walked out, he saw Nathan grinning before shaking his head with a friendly smile. Scorpius felt just a little bit more encouraged about what he did after that.

James's face told a different story.

When he stepped out into the train aisle, the students were still looking outside. All eyes were on him as he walked over to Rose. Scorpius felt just a bit self conscious at all the attention he was receiving. He never had this many eyes staring at him before and it was unnerving. He did his best to ignore the stares as he reached out and touched Rose on her shoulder.

"Are you ok? The spider's gone now," he said, trying to be as comforting as possible.

Rose looked positively distraught. Her face was hidden behind her hands and it sounded as if she was crying from the scare. Locks of her reddish-brown hair covered half of her face as she pulled away from Scorpius. "I... hate... spiders..." sobbed the girl. "I. Hate. Spiders."

Scorpius looked up. He had never comforted a crying girl before. Once again, Bertha didn't count because Bertha was a friend. He looked around before he looked over at James and Al. Three other boys were standing behind the two brothers. One was tall with brown hair and eyes. There was bookish sort of look to him with a quill tucked behind his ear. The other boy had dark skin and hair that was held in tight small braids.

They were all looking at Scorpius. Al looked hesitant and slightly worried while James was scowling. His arm was down, the grip on his wand tight before he tucked his wand away. "I could have Transfigured that spider off of her," he said to Scorpius before he looked at Rose. "And come on, Rosie. Stop crying. I said I was sorry and that I didn't mean to enlarge the spider instead of get of it."

That did nothing to calm Rose down. She did pause in her crying though. But it was only to look up and give James the sharpest glare she could give him. Her brown eyes were watery and her face was streaked with tears. "You're a prat!" she shouted.

Without another word, Rose turned around and stormed out of the carriage and into the next one. The entire carriage was silent after she left before everyone turned to the Potter brothers, the two boys behind them and Scorpius. When James glanced at them, they retreated back into their compartments. All of them except for Nathan who kept his door open, just a crack.

Once everyone was back inside, James looked at Scorpius. The look on the second year's face was difficult to make out. Annoyance? Curiosity? Either way, Scorpius felt small under the other boy's gaze as he looked up and smiled, hoping that it was the right thing to do. When James smiled back, Scorpius took it as a good sign.

"That was kind of cool of you to do that. Very brave. A Gryffindor trait," said James as he folded his arms across his chest. "Is that the house you're hoping to get sorted into?"

Remembering what Nathan said, Scorpius swallowed hard. He nodded, not trusting his voice. James had said that he had a Gryffindor trait, so maybe he might get sorted into Gryffindor. Hopefully. Possibly. After all, Scorpius was certain that his father wouldn't mind if he was sorted in Gryffindor, right? Hopefully? Possibly? Because if being sorted into Gryffindor meant a chance at being friends with James, then his father would understand.

James's smile grew as he walked over and placed his hand out for Scorpius to shake. The handshake was brief but firm. "Good man," said James as he walked back to his friends and brother. "This here is Nick Creevy. He's a brilliant writer. Over there is Zachary Jordan, the best beater in the Gryffindor hous ever. And this, is my brother Albus. He's going to be joining his us in Gryffindor, isn't that right, Al? Or are you going to be a S-s-s-s-slytherin?"

A look of discomfort and fear crossed Albus's face. He looked uncertain about where he was to be sorted. "I told you I'm not going to be in Slytherin," said Albus as he pulled away from his brother's hand. "And I'm going to go look for Rose."

As Albus walked past, Scorpius turned around and watched him walk off. Before he could disappear into the train carriage, James shouted, "She's probably tattling on me to Victorie, Albus. Tell her I'm sorry and that I really could have transfigured that spider out of her hair, literally!"

James was answered by the sound of the carriage door opening and closing sharply. The older of the Potter brothers rolled his eyes before sighing. He turned around and looked at Nick and Zachary. Zachary was grinning before the laugh he was holding back escaped while Nick rolled his eyes and scoffed. James scowled before rolling his eyes. "What? I honestly could have transfigured that spider away, not that hard."

"Right-o, mate," said Zachary as he patted James on the shoulder. He turned around and re-entered the compartment. Zachary was still grinning in disbelief.

"Of course you can perform sixth year magic while in your second year," said Nick as he turned to follow Zachary, "Even I can't do that, James and I'm one of the top students in Transfiguration."

Once his two friends were back in the compartment, James stuck his tongue out at them before he turned and looked at Scorpius. A lazy grin crossed his face again as he leaned against the wall, "So, I never got your name. You look kind of familiar. Then again, you might have one of those faces everyone has."

"Scorpius," said Scorpius, with a wide grin, "Scorpius Malfoy."

James's grin fell faster than lightning and was replaced by a scowl that that was as malicious as a storm. All of a sudden, Scorpius felt cold as he wondered what he had said, didn't say or had done to make James scowl all of a sudden.

"Uhm, uh- I'm sorry." Scorpius's mind reeled with various answers to try and smooth things over with James. But when he spoke, James only scowled even more fierce before taking a step back from Scorpius like he was a germ or disease. "I didn't-"

"Stay away from me, My friends. And my family," said James darkly. His hands were in his pockets as he stepped away from Scorpius. "Don't you dare, lay a hand on them."

Before Scorpius could even say anything, James turned around and closed the door to his compartment. Scorpius stood alone in the train aisle. Confusion. Sheer confusion clouded his mind. He wanted to walk up to James's compartment and pound on the door. He wanted to demand an answer from James and what he meant by the warning. Did James honestly think that he was going hurt him and his friends and family? But why? They had never met before, never spoken more than a word to each other or lay eyes on each other until today.

The door to Nathan's compartment opened slowly and Scorpius turned to see all four students in it staring at him. Their eyes were wide. The Hufflepuff girl's mouth was open slightly as she scooted closer to the Ravenclaw boy. All of them were looking at Scorpius differently than before and Scorpius felt scared and cold from their gazes. He looked at Nathan who looked just as surprised as they were.

It was then that Scorpius recognized the look in their eyes.

Fear.

There were hints of fear in their eyes.

Swallowing hard, Scorpius turned so that he was facing them, his hands balled into nervous fists. "Nathan?" he said, "What did I do wrong?"

Nathan blinked once. It was as if he was completely taken aback by Scorpius's innocent question and the confusion in his voice. He opened his mouth as if to answer Scorpius's question, as if to say that he did nothing wrong but before he could the Ravenclaw girl stood up.

She reached over to the compartment door and looked at Scorpius. There was still fear in her eyes but there was also hate.

"You're a Malfoy," she said, the venom in her voice was obvious. Then she closed the compartment door and with a 'click' locked it behind her.

Loneliness. Isolation. Emptiness.

Scorpius stood in the train aisle way more confused than ever. What did the girl mean when she said that he was a Malfoy? Was it bad? Feeling his eyes sting, tears were threatening to form in his eyes but Scorpius shook his head. He quickly wiped the tears away. Malfoys don't cry. Big boys don't cry. Even if they were feeling scared and confused. They don't cry.

They don't cry.

Biting his bottom lip, Scorpius looked around at the compartments. All the doors were closed to him. Even though Scorpius spent most of his life by himself or the company of adults, he had never felt lonely before. He had never felt the raw sting of social isolation. He had never had people close doors on him before and not tell him why.

He didn't know what to do.

He wanted to disappear into a dark corner away from everyone.

He wanted to cry because obviously something was wrong with him.

But he couldn't.

He heard his father telling his mother one night that "Malfoys don't cry not matter what" and that "Malfoys can persevere through anything without getting emotional about it." That was the night his father came home after going out to find work at the Ministry and was unsuccessful, again.

He can't cry.

H can't.

xxx

**Author's Note:** If anyone can't tell, I obviously love Scorpius Malfoy. He is by far one of my favorite characters. I also do love James, even though I portray him as a complete prat in both of my Next Generation fics. After those two are Rose and Albus, both of them tied along with Lily Potter.

Anyways, please read and review. 8D I'm rather surprised by how this chapter turned out. Don't you all just want to give Scorpius a great big hug? I know I do.


	3. Year 1 : Five Things In Life

**Change of Heart**

**By:** xLucky-Sparks

**Chapter Three: **Five Things That Are Certain In Life

**Disclaimer: **Whatever belongs to JK Rowling belongs to JK Rowling. Whatever belongs to me belongs to me.

**Pairings:** Scorpius/Rose

**Special Thanks To: **The lovely reviews by **CocoaTea, GardenRiver, FairytaleBeliever123, **and **ShelbyElizabeth.** The awesomeness of putting Change of Heart on their favorites list by **MarshmallowMoo **and **Pescibear**. And **Jacobsgalpal, ShelbyElizabeth **and **Starburst99** for putting Change of heart on their alert list. 8D

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Year One

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There were three things in life Scorpius was certain about.

The first thing was death. Everyone knows that at some point or another, you were going to kick the bucket and be pushing daisies. Scorpius was fascinated with muggle sayings and the muggle world. He never understood why dying was "kicking the bucket" and he was certain that death wasn't as pleasant as "pushing up daisies" but he liked the ring the idioms had when he said or thought it. Scorpius remembered asking his father what those sayings meant. All he got was a long stare from his father before telling him to go talk to his mother about it.

Later that day, Scorpius remembered hearing his father talking his mum about how he couldn't believe his son was fascinated by all things muggle. His mother then chuckled and said that this was a good thing, that it meant that Scorpius can be different and lead a different life, a better life, than they had. Scorpius never understood what his mother meant by that either, but he simply assumed that it was a parental thing.

After all, all parents want a better life for their children.

The second thing was taxes. Scorpius never knew what taxes were. All he knew was that it involved a lot sums and Scorpius never liked doing sums and arithmetic. He also knew that muggle adults hated taxes and would complain about it when the taxes "go up" and say that the government was robbing them. He read about it in a book he found and wondered why the muggles continue to let their government rob them.

The third thing was the comfort of a good book.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing can compare to the simmering silence of a good book. Especially a book that draws the readers in with an enticing plot and hooks them, intoxicating with well written prose and loveable characters.

A book like West Side Story.

Scorpius was sitting alone in an empty compartment, curled up on the cushioned seat with a copy of one of the many muggle books he owned and was re-reading it. When his mother found out that he enjoyed reading muggle books more than wizarding ones, she quickly arranged a deal with his father to give him the money to buy the books. The deal was as long as he doesn't get too obsessed with muggles and end up wanting to work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department in the Ministry in the future, then he could read as many books about muggles and by muggles as he wanted.

The instant he opens his mouth and even hints at wanting to work with muggles for the rest of his life, his books were going to be used a fuel for the fire during the winter. Or perhaps a nice bonfire, added his father thoughtfully.

He was completely absorbed in the book and its characters.

It was hard for Scorpius to imagine how two groups of people can hate each other so much that they were willing to kill each other over something so trivial as hate. Besides, he said after telling Bertha about the story, what's really stupid is the fact that both sides don't even know why they're fighting. They're only fighting because the leaders tell them fight and the leaders tell them to fight because the leaders before them tell them to fight. It's pointless for them to hate each other just because of some stupid reason that happened years ago. If they had just realized that, Tony wouldn't have died.

Bertha, who was nine at the time, went quiet after Scorpius vented about Tony's death in Westside Story. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth and said in a quiet voice:

Well, if there hadn't been a fight, Tony and Maria would never have met and realized how much they were in love with each other, right? Because Tony would have been lived a normal happy life and found a happy normal girlfriend while Maria might have still been in her home country and met a normal happy man there.

Scorpius only stared at Bertha before sighing, telling her that she would never understand the nuances of love and storytelling if she was going to think like that.

He only said that because he knew she was right and didn't want to admit it.

Hours must have passed because by the time Scorpius read the last page and closed the book, the sky was a brilliant royal purple with hints of fushia and gold.

"Wonder how much longer until Hogwarts," said Scorpius.

He looked around the empty compartment.

"Possibly a few minutes? Any hour?"

It was rather depressing having no one to talk too.

There was a fourth thing Scorpius could add to list that he was certain about: No matter how delightful the book is, once the fairytale was over , reality always comes back to dominate.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, Scorpius looked out the window at the passing scenery. Images and words from what happened earlier that day came back to haunt him. Even though he had forgotten about it for a few peaceful minutes, the look on James's face when Scorpius said his name was still clear as ever. Scorpius closed his eyes, the other boy's words echoing in his mind.

_Stay away from me, my friends and my family. Don't you dare, lay a hand on them._

And when he asked for an answer, the reply he got was only another riddle.

_You're a Malfoy._

What did she mean by that?

"That's him. That's him right there."

"Who?"

"The boy who rescued you from the spider. You should really thank him you know."

"I thought I did thank him."

"No, Rosie, you told James to piss off by calling him a prat and stormed off."

"Well, alright then."

Scorpius sat up straighter, putting his feet down on the floor as he watched the door slid open. Standing in the doorway was Albus, Jame's brother, the boy who didn't want to be in Slytherin. Next to Albus was the girl, Rose, who had a giant spider on her head before Scorpius pulled it off.

Both first years were looking at Scorpius but both of them had very different expressions. Albus was grinning while Rose looked... frozen. She was staring at Scorpius, her eyes appeared shocked but the rest of her face was neutral. Quickly she turned to Albus.

"Are you sure he's the one?" she asked in a low whisper.

Albus looked puzzled before he looked at Scorpius. He walked over to Scorpius before leaning in, invading Scorpius's personal bubble in a way that made him press further against the back of the compartment seat. "Pale pointed face, gray blue eyes and I'd eat my boot if I don't recognize that blonde hair of his. Mhm, that's the boy alright." He had turned to look at Rose and gave her a nod. Albus then paused though and turned back to Scorpius. "No, wait. One more test. Say: Open the window."

Scorpius blinked once.

"Go on, say it."

He blinked again. "Uhm... Open the window?"

A suspicious look crossed Albus's features as he placed his hand to his chin, stroking it like he had a beard. "Hm, I don't know. Maybe he isn't the same boy. But I'm certain he is."

Scorpius watched as Rose's expression went from confused to a bit of a grimace. Her grip on her bookbag tightened before she nodded at Scorpius. "I'll take Albus's word for it then. So, thank you for getting that spider off of me."

Scorpius smiled. It seemed as if Albus and Rose weren't going to suddenly leave him.

"Uhm, sure! No problem. I'll be glad to do that anytime. I mean, spiders are the worst. I hate them and I sure would hate to have one on my head but it seems like you hate them too. I mean with their legs and their-" When he realized that he was babbling again, something he had a tendency to do when he was eager to make friends, Scorpius stopped himself. "I'm sorry. I mean, I just- Your welcome?"

Albus and Rose were looking at Scorpius like he had grown an extra head. Mentally kicking himself, Scorpius made a note to stop babbling when he got nervous and was about to change the topic when Albus grinned and chuckled.

"You don't like spiders either? Wow, you're pretty brave then, just like James said. You'll probably have no problem getting into Gryffindor, hopefully I'll see you in there because I sure as Dumbledore's lemon drops that's the house I hope to get into. Rose here is probably going to be in Ravenclaw, she's really bright you know." Albus then paused before grinning again. "I'm sorry, we haven't really introduced ourselves, even though James already gave you my name. I'm Albus and that's my cousins Ro-"

Before Albus could finish, Rose had pulled him back. She was looking at Scorpius with an uncertain gaze before she turned to Albus and whispered something in his ear. Albus's face went from smiling to shock within a few seconds. He looked at Rose and looked at Scorpius.

"Are you sure?" he said. The look on his face was just as uncertain as Roses's.

Rose gave a solemn nod.

Albus looked back at Rose, his mouth opened slightly. "He doesn't seem-"

Once again, Rose stepped in before he could finish. She looked at Scorpius and offered him a half smile before placing her hand out to him. "Thank you for saving me from the spider."

That niggling feeling returned to the pit of his stomach as Scorpius stared at Rose's offered hand. He looked up at her and saw the sincerity in her thanks. But he didn't want her gratitude or the sincerity that went with it. He wanted friends. But from the look of things, friendship didn't seem like something Albus and Rose was interested in establishing, at least not with him.

Reaching out, Scorpius took Rose's hand. Her hands were soft, gentle and when she pulled away he could still feel her touch. She then turned around and looked at Albus, giving him a firm nod before walking towards the doorway. Albus looked at Scorpius as if he was torn between following Rose and staying behind. He eventually gave Scorpius a smile and a nod.

"I really hope you get in Gryffindor," he said before turning and following his cousin out of the compartment.

Once the door slid shut behind them, Scorpius felt that niggling feeling swell and grow. He wanted to open the door and shout at Albus and Rose. He wanted to shout and ask them why? Why was it bad that he was Malfoy? What in the world was wrong with him or his family's name?

But a Malfoy never looses his temper, no matter how angry he is.

So Scorpius kept quiet and added a fifth item to his list: No one will answer you questions.

He was about to put his book away and take out a new one, a book about vampires. When Scorpius heard that muggles actually thought that vampires don't burn in the sun but actually sparkle he wanted to laugh. Scorpius knew a vampire and when he told the vampire about the book, well, the vampire hissed at him and told him to never mention it again.

Admittedly, Scorpius was a bit disappointed that Eric didn't seem to find the idea of vampires sparkling as funny as he did. Then again, after talking to Bertha about it, Scorpius realized that maybe Eric was offended by the idea instead of amused. Mr. Northman was a powerful vampire from America, after all, who frequents Knockturn Alley from time to time when he visits England.

Before he could start reading though, the door slid open again.

Scorpius looked up, expecting to see Rose and Albus walking in again. Instead, there was a different person. Another first year by the looks of her uniform, which she had already changed into. The girl had jet black hair that were tied up into two pigtails on the top of her head. Her eyes were black and her face was pale. She was skinny in an eerie fashion that reminded Scorpius of a spider. Yes, the girl looked like a spider. Even the way she grinned reminded him of a spider.

All Scorpius could do was look before the girl walked in and Scorpius saw a boy follow her in, a Slytherin boy with dirty blonde hair and a gruff demeanor. Another girl followed in; there was a dark beauty to her from her skin tone to her eyes and hair. She looked at Scorpius, her head tilted to the side a bit before she looked at the girl who looked like a spider as if to say "really?". Finally another boy entered, a large boy with a face that looked like a bulldog and a body of a beachball walked in, his small eyes looking at Scorpius also.

He didn't know why but all of a sudden Scorpius felt the need to hide his muggle books, folding the top of his bookbag over so that the book covers were obscured. He then cleared his throat and looked at the boy in the Slytherin uniform who he assumed was the leader. He was the only one wearing a uniform after all, aside from the boy with the dogface who also didn't' look like much of a leader.

"Uhm, hi?" he said, keeping a wary eye on the rest of the crowd.

The boy only snorted before the spider-girl walked forward, her hands behind her back. If she was older, Scorpius would imagine that she would look like the Other Mother from Coraline.

"You're him, aren't you?" asked the girl.

Scorpius didn't like the cryptic tone in her voice. Why can't people just ask things directly?

"Depends on who 'him' is, right?" said Scorpius, swallowing the nervousness that was building up.

"Scorpius Malfoy, who else? You – Know – Who?" said the other girl with a sneer, "You sure that's him, DeeDee? He looks a little... weak... to be a Malfoy?"

When the girl called him weak, Scorpius scowled and reached for his wand. His father had taught him to never let anyone insult him and get away with it. That was a lesson his father didn't need to teach either.

"Care for me to prove otherwise?" said Scorpius pointing his wand at the girl.

Immediately the two boys pulled closer to the girl, their wands were drawn also before the spider girl, DeeDee, scoffed and rolled her eyes dramatically. Reaching out, she pushed the two boy's wands down, gave the dark girl a frown.

"People, people," she said before she turned and looked at Scorpius with a grin, "Calm down alright? And stop acting like a bunch of Blasted End Skrewts. We're all friends here, ok?" She then looked at Scorpius and placed her hand out. "Deidra Flint. Future Slytherin. Just call me DeeDee by the way, but call me double 'D' and you'll be sorry."

Unsure whether or not it was a good idea to shake her hand, Scorpius was hesitant. DeeDee made the decision for him and took his hand, shaking it hard and briefly before she pointed to each member of her posse. "The boy over there is Travis Higgs. He's a second year, a Slytherin obvious and a family friend. Over there is Alethea Zambini, she's also a family friend. Well, her father is a family friend. She's going to be Slytherin also. And him over there is Brendan Derrick. He's a Slytherin, a friend of Travis and he's part of Slytherin also."

Travis, Alethea and Brendan looked at Scorpius and all of them nodded. DeeDee then turned around and pointed at the empty compartment seats.

"Sit," she commanded before sitting down next to Scorpius. She then looked at him, her smile sickly. "So you're Scorpius Malfoy right? I suppose you're going to be joining your Slytherin just like your dad?"

Before he could speak, Travis spoke up first.

"From the look of him, he looks like he'd be a Hufflepuff instead."

That made Alethea giggle while Brendan guffawed.

Scorpius felt heat rising in to his cheeks. He bit his bottom lip while his hand curled around his wand.

Once they were done cracking up over their own jokes, Scorpius shrugged.

"Hufflepuff isn't too bad," he said remembering Nathan, "And I guess Slytherin isn't either. The house I really want to be in though, is Gryffindor."

Even though James, Albus and Rose hate me, thought Scorpius bitterly.

There was a moment of silence in the compartment before everyone cracked up laughing. Scorpius looked around, confused to what everyone found funny.

"Gryffindor? Maybe he is a Malfoy after all, he does have that sense of humor," said Travis.

"Sense of humor, right," said Brendan, even though his laugh was confused.

When he realized that they thought he was joking, Scorpius was torn. Yes, they were rude. Yes, he didn't like them. Yes, they seemed not very trustworthy. But they were the only ones who didn't scatter when they realized he was a Malfoy like everyone else did. In fact, they knew that he was a Malfoy and sought him out.

If he didn't make friends with them, what friends can he have a Hogwarts?

So Scorpius laughed alongside them, a forced hesitant laugh that was passable enough for a real one.

"Yea, actually I don't want to be in Gryffindor," said Scorpius once the laughing died down. "I was joking when I said that. I mean, I was also joking when I said that Hufflepuff was an ok house, they are a load of doffers, right? And Ravenclaws, they're smart and-"

"Are bookish owls with big brains and no social life," finished Alethea, "And ugly too, all of them. Then again, since when can anyone have beauty and brains? Wait, the Slytherins do."

Scorpius wanted to tell Alethea that she had neither brains nor beauty, but that wouldn't be true. She had one, and he was assuming she didn't have the other.

DeeDee turned to Scorpius, the corner of her lips curved into a smirk. "You should totally be friends with us, you know? Of course, only if you get into Slytherin, but what do you have to worry about? You're a Malfoy and all Malfoys get into Slytherin."

The train whistle blew signaling that there was only half an hour before the train arrived at its destination. Scorpius smiled briefly at DeeDee, thankful that the train had saved him from answering he question.

"Of course," he said, not saying what he said 'of course' too: being friends with her and her group or to his chances of being in Slytherin at a sky high. Scorpius then nodded at his bag, "And uhm, do you guys mind leaving? I still need to change into my uniform."

DeeDee grinned before she got up.

"Of course, Malfoy," she said. She looked at the other three before jerking her head towards the compartment door. "Come on, let's go."

As Travis, Alethea and Brendan left, DeeDee turned to leave also but stopped at the doorway, she turned around and looked at Scorpius, her arms folded across her chest. "Alethea and I are going to be looking for you when we get off the train, mmkay? So look for us. Toodles, Malfoy."

Then the door slid close behind her.

Scorpius inhaled deeply through his nose and sighed before taking his shirt off.

Another thing he could be certain about:

Reality sucks. The imaginary world of books and fiction, rules.

Sometimes Scorpius wishes that his life was like a story. Reality would probably suck just a little less if it was.

xxx

**Author's Note:** I am SO sorry for the late update on **Change of Heart**. For those of you who follow my other story **Witch Hunt**, which was also updated rather late, you'll know that my laptop ate a very bad virus and is currently pissing me off right now. It still has a virus and I'm writing this on my mom's laptop right now.

Anyways, I know people were hoping for sorting in this chapter but got this instead. I am so sorry but if I added the sorting in, it would run longer than I want it too. **Change of Heart** is suppose to be faster and brisker than **Witch Hunt** which is heavier and denser. I want **Change of Heart** to be something that is fun and relaxing to read also and if it goes longer than five thousand words, it will be a chore to read.

Anyways, hopefully things will get back on track for and my laptop will be fixed.

I hope you enjoyed reading this next chapter of **Change of Heart**. Please, review. I love hearing back from people who read my stories and I love being told what I'm doing right or wrong when I'm writing that way I can improve on it.

Thank You!

P.S: It must be obvious that I'm in a better mood than when I updated **Witch Hunt. **That's because I'm no longer dealing with pop ups and monstrosities XD Not like anyone cares, I just feel like saying it.


	4. Year 1 : The Sorting

**Change of Heart**

**By:** xLucky-Sparks

**Chapter Four: **The Sorting

**Disclaimer: **Whatever belongs to JK Rowling belongs to JK Rowling. Whatever belongs to me belongs to me.

**Pairings:** Scorpius/Rose

**Special Thanks To: **Everyone who reviewed, put **Change of Heart** on their alert or favorites list and people who put me on their alert or favorites list. I am very happy and very thankful for all the feedback I received. 8D I did my best to reply to all of them and I am just... glad that you enjoyed reading **Change of Heart**. ^^

xxx

Year One

xxx

The sorting hat.

A worn battered old hat that looked like it had seen better days.

Patched. Frayed. Ripped.

The last thing Scorpius wanted to do was to put the sorting hat on his head because Merlin knows how many heads that hat has sat on and exactly how often it's been washed. Now, Scorpius wasn't a neat freak but he would rather avoid dirt and messes if he could.

But no, that's not the main reason why he would rather not put that hat on his head.

The main reason why is because he didn't want to know which house he was to be sorted into.

When the hat opened its mouth – do hats even have mouths? Scorpius thought when he first saw it did – and started singing, all of the first years started whispering to each other in anticipation and excitement. The song started off just like his father described it.

The beginning was sung to praise Hogwarts and to tell the new students about the founding of the great and noble school. This was the part not many students cared about. After all, why do they need to listen to some old hat talk about why they were sorted into separate houses and about the founders of Hogwarts if they already had a copy of Hogwarts a History telling them all that stuff? Get on with the show already and onto the feast.

Then, a couple verses in, the real tension started.

The first house the sorting hat introduced was Gryffindor.

Scorpius bit his bottom lip as he looked towards the red clad house. The streaming banner of the lion hung above the students like a mighty protector. Amongst the students, Scorpius saw James and his friends grinning to each other. James had a cool look of certainty to him. He was looking at his brother and cousin as if saying "Yea, I know where they are going".

Scorpius so desperately wanted to be in Gryffindor.

Courage. Bravery. Honor. Chivalry.

He had those traits, right?

The next house to be introduced was Ravenclaw.

The hat sang about creativity and wisdom and how these students were quick of mind and were witty with their words. These students were the minds of Hogwarts, the thinkers who were prized for their knowledge and their open mind. This was the house where the students shone academically.

Scorpius glanced to his side where Alethea was standing next to DeeDee.

He remembered Alethea telling him that Ravenclaws might be the brains but they were certainly not the beauties.

His gaze shifted and Scorpius saw Rose and Albus standing near the end of the line.

He also remembered that Albus told him that Rose was bound to be in Ravenclaw since she was the brightest witch ever.

Scorpius didn't think that Rose was ugly.

Then Slytherin was introduced.

Immediately there was a hiss from the Gryffindor table and Headmistress McGonagall had to turn and give the Gryffindors a stern gaze before they would settle.

Scorpius swallowed hard as he listened to traits the Sorting Hat praised the Slytherin house for. They were known for being cunning and for being smart. Not smart like Ravenclaw, but rather street smart and manipulative. They were known to be prudent and acted in ways that can help them in the future. They were also incredibly ambitious.

But that wasn't what the house was known for.

Feeling a sharp jab on his side, Scorpius turned to see DeeDee grinning even though she wasn't looking at him. She didn't need to say anything for Scorpius to know the silent message she was giving him:

I'll see you in Slytherin, my friend.

Friend.

If he joined Slytherin, he might have friends.

And finally Hufflepuff, the house almost everyone overlooks.

They were known to be hardworkers and loyal to their friends. They were an inclusive house that stuck by each other and played fair and by the rules. Honesty was their policy and they were also the house that got along best with everyone.

Even though people say that Hufflepuff were a load of doffers, Scorpius wouldn't have minded being put in Hufflepuff. After all, Nathan didn't seem like a doffer at all. In fact, he did seem nice, even though his friends didn't seem that way.

Once the Sorting Hat's song was finished, a thunderous applause echoed through the Great Hall as Deputy Headmaster Flitwick unrolled a scroll. A couple of students giggled as the bottom of the parchment dropped to the floor and continued to unwind itself down the bottom of the short staircase.

This was it.

Scorpius held his breath as the name Akerman, Agnes was called to the stool. After a few seconds the Sorting Hat shouted its answer and Agnes became the first student to join the Hufflepuff table.

The sorting had officially begun and Scorpius already wished that it was over.

Every name called was another name putting him closer to the top of the list. When DeeDee was called, the hat sat on her head for less than a nanosecond before she was sent to the Slytherin table. The other girl turned around and winked at Scorpius before waving to Alethea before she joined her fellow Slytherins.

And as the sorting continued, Scorpius began to notice certain things. Every time a student is sorted into Slytherin, the Gryffindor house would hiss at them or roll their eyes or do something mean. Every time a student went to Gryffindor, the Slytherins would hiss and taunt them back.

Kyle Lee was sorted into Hufflepuff and immediately there were snickers from the Slytherin house.

Then it was Scorpius's turn.

"Malfoy, Scorpius."

Immediately a wave of silence crashed into the hall as Scorpius took a timid step forward. He looked around the Great Hall. Whatever side conversations the students were having ceased instantly when his name was called. Then, the whispering started again and while Scorpius walked over to the wooden chair, he could hear hisses already being directed at him.

Only these hisses didn't all come from Gryffindor. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were looking at him warily, all of them expecting and questioning.

Closing his eyes, Scorpius inhaled deeply, trying to look as unfazed as possible before the hat was placed on his head. He could see nothing but darkness behind the worn out fabric and for that he was grateful.

_Ah yes, I know your mind well. A Malfoy are you?_

Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy, sir.

_Sir? My isn't that a first for me._

Which house will you sort me into, Mr. Sorting Hat?

_There's a politeness about you that's distinctly different from the rest of your family. A politeness that would do you well in Hufflepuff. But you have brains and a brilliant imagination, fueled with a desire to learn. Ah yes, there is an insatiable desire in you to let that creative imagination of yours to wander._

Imagination?

_Yes, I reckon you would do well in-_

Wait!

_Hm? Second thoughts about your house? Ah, I see. You don't think that you'd fare well do you? It's understandable, very understandable but are you sure? Positive? I'm not too sure, Mr. Malfoy but if you insist on being in a house you believe you'll fare better in, than I will take your request into consideration and wish you the best of luck in-_

"SLYTHERIN!"

There was no collective gasp when the hat was lifted from Scorpius's head. No claps thundered through the halls at the house he was placed into. No noise until Scorpius stood up and looked towards the green clad table. Then slowly they started clapping, DeeDee being the one to lead them. They were all wearing smug grins. Even though they were welcoming him as he walked towards the table, some of them had looks of doubt in their eyes as if they were questioning if having him in their house was a good idea or not.

As he walked, Scorpius felt the eyes of the other tables on him and even though he kept himself tall and dignified, he felt small under their stares. Then someone spoke, giving a voice to the numerous stares.

"Figures the son of Draco Malfoy would go into the git house," said James. He spoke to his friend, Zachary, but Scorpius could hear through of the scattered applause and silence. "I mean, his whole family is a family of traitors to the wizarding worlds, evil wizards and Slytherin is the house of pureblood maniacs. His grandfather and father being the worst of the-"

"Don't you dare say that about my father!"

What possessed Scorpius to shout back, he'll never know. But he was standing in the middle of the Great Hall, just a few steps away from the Slytherin table. Another student, a boy, was sitting on the stool waiting to be sorted but was staring at Scorpius, his mouth open while Professor Flitwick turned to see what the rukus was about.

James sneered as he glanced around. His face was turning red along with his ears at the disturbance caused by his conversation.

"I didn't say anything," he started mumbling but paused as if reconsidering. He then spoke again, his voice louder than before. "And if I did, it's only the truth. After all, your dad was a Death Eater, in fact he was the youngest Death Eater in history! He was a git who tormented my dad and my mum's entire family and called my aunt a mudblood!"

Scorpius felt sheer and utter rage at what James was saying. His hands curled into fists as he resisted the urge to draw his wand. Maybe James was mistaken him and his family for someone else. Because everything he was saying can't be true. His father wasn't a Death Eater. He was a respectable wizard, struggling to make a living because of bad luck. He was kind, loving. Strict, yes, but he was never cruel. He might not like muggle borns but he would never call them a mudblood.

"So what if his father is a Death Eater?"

But before he could even form the words in his head to shout at James, DeeDee spoke up from the Slytherin table. She sounded cool, calm and she was looking at the Gryffindor table with utmost hate.

James turned his attention to the Slytherin table now and while DeeDee looked cool, calm and annoyed like a steady tidal wave, James looked fiery, burning and annoyed like burning coal.

"What it means is that him and the lot of you are no good sli-"

"Mr. Potter!"

Silence in the hall as everyone turned to see the Headmistress standing up in her seat. Her eyes were blazing with fury as she looked at James. No, she wasn't just angry, she was furious at him. "Since there are no house points to be taken from Gryffindor for your... disgusting outburst at Mr. Malfoy, you will be serving a months worth of detention with me starting tomorrow. I will be writing a letter to your father about this and we will have a talk about your behavior. Your father would be ashamed of what you just did. Mr. Malfoy, carry on to your house. Professor Flitwick, the sorting, please."

James gave Scorpius a murderous look before he turned to Zachary and started whispering something to the other boy. Scorpius sniffed, not caring if the James was angry at him or not anymore. After all those lies and slander he said about his father, Scorpius could care less if he would get to make friends with the son of his all time her or not. Real friends wouldn't treat him like that. Real friends would stick up for each other, like DeeDee did.

And Scorpius was glad that he stopped the hat just in time before it chose to sort him into Ravenclaw.

As he took a seat next to the other girl, Scorpius flashed her a quick smile which she returned with a creepy spidery one of her own. He grimaced a bit when she turned to clap for a new addition to the Ravenclaw table. Still, he'll admit that it was going to take time before he got used to her looking like a spider.

But as he watched Owens, Matthew get sorted into Gryffindor, Scorpius couldn't help but wonder if what James said was the truth or lies or a misunderstanding. He began feeling unsettled as the words echoed in his mind making him feel uncomfortable. There was a conviction in James's eyes and as Scorpius thought about how everyone reacted to him when they found out what his name was, everything began to make sense.

It had to be a misunderstanding, and elaborate prank.

Right?

A sharp nudge on his side jolted Scorpius out of his thought. DeeDee was pointing to the front of the room. "The other Potter boy is getting sorted," she said with a faint scowl, "Do you want a bet he's gonna be following his high and mighty family into Gryffindor?"

Scorpius only shrugged, not sure what to think. For now, he was going to focus on the sorting and think about what James said later.

Out of everyone sorted, Albus Potter's time under the sorting hat was the longest. And the longer Albus sat under the hat, the more nervous his brother seemed to get, Scorpius noted every time he looked at the Gryffindor table. It was as if James had expected the hat to just land on Albus's head and shout Gryffindor before moving on.

Then finally, after almost five minutes, the seam of the hat opened.

"RAVENCLAW!"

A look of pure shock was written on James's face when Albus took off the hat and placed it on the stool. He looked just as surprised as everyone else when the sorting hat shouted Ravenclaw, but at the same time he seemed happy. He looked over at Gryffindor and gave his brother a casual shrug and grin before walking over to the applauding Ravenclaw table.

Scorpius scowled lightly.

A part of him had been hoping that Albus would be sorted into Slytherin. The other boy seemed nice, a whole lot nicer than James. Not to mention, Albus even said that he hoped Scorpius would be in Gryffindor. A part of him was also mentally kicking himself. If he had just simply let the hat put him in Ravenclaw, he might have had a friendship with Albus.

A few more names and then finally Rose's name was called.

The girl looked nervous as she walked up to the sorting hat and sat down.

Scorpius found himself wondering which house she would be in and felt his mind wander into the possibilities of her being sorted into Slytherin. But the hat barely sat on her head for more than a few seconds before it shouted:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Immediately Scorpius felt his heart sank as he watched Rose walk over to Gryffindor. James looked ecstatic and was looking over at his brother in Ravenclaw as if wondering what went wrong. The look on James's face made Scorpius dislike him even more.

After Alethea was sorted into Slytherin and exchanged hugs with DeeDee, Headmistress McGonagall stood up, made a quick speech before the tables were filled with food. Scorpius stared at the mountain in front of him, not feeling hungry at all.

Now that the sorting was over, James's accusation was lingering in his mind again. He wanted to ask DeeDee about it, but decided against it. He'd look like a fool if he asked. After all, what idiot wouldn't know about his own family history?

So after picking at the spoonful of mashed potatoes DeeDee had scooped out for him, Alethea and Travis, Scorpius frowned.

No, he wasn't going to ask. But he was definitely going to do some research about his family history, listen in on gossip and rumors that were going to fly around him and possibly start some fights with James. Because after James's outburst, Scorpius was certain that the other boy would give him all the answers he'll want when they get into an argument.

Scorpius just wasn't all too sure if he wants to know what the other boy meant and if he was cut out for the truth or not.

"You better eat up," said DeeDee as she popped a slice of cucumber into her mouth, "The opening feast is the best feast of the year, or so I've heard."

xxx

**Author's Note:** I hate heat waves. Hands down, heat waves makes people uninspired. Anyways, here's the sorting hat chapter of** Change of Heart**. I'm pretty sure everyone excepted all of the outcomes of who would be sorted where except for Albus who got tossed into Ravenclaw. I was going to put Hufflepuff BUT the random number generator said Ravenclaw. I was also tempted to put Rose into Slytherin, but I am not going to have Ron send her a howler. Not in this story at least ^_~ (A possible hint at ANOTHER story?). Anyways, it's a dull chapter, I'm sorry but this heat wave just sucks the soul out of me. I feel like a dementor has swept in or something, so if there's any flames, I won't be too surprised.

So please! Review. And thank you so much for putting up with my writing. ^^


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